WildLinks Conference

Bringing together scientists, conservationists and natural resource practitioners from Washington and British Columbia

Led by the Cascadia Partner Forum and Conservation Northwest, WildLinks is our annual conference and science briefing that brings together researchers, conservationists, land managers, agency officials, tribal and First Nations leaders and other experts from Washington and British Columbia.

The goal is to share ideas about our region’s wildlands and wildlife populations healthy and connected.

WildLinks Archives

2017 WildLinks – Held in October, 2017 at Manning Park Resort in southern British Columbia. Read more on the Cascadia Partner Forum website. More than 50 members of the Cascadia Partner Forum attended WildLinks in 2017, representing First Nations, tribes, non-profits, businesses, universities and government agencies from British Columbia and Washington. Highlights of the two conferences included:

A climate-focused Voices of Cascadia video and collaborative development of a Cascadia Climate Adaptation Strategy to bring partners together under a regional vision for a resilient Cascadia. Objectives included an increase in accessibility of important tools and science to inform decisions today, scenario planning to explore options for our future, and communications including stories about climate adaptation in action throughout this transboundary landscape. Google presented and brainstormed at the conference to explore how their technologies and tools can facilitate more efficiency and effectiveness in creating a resilient Cascadia through this strategy.

Small working-group sessions to further conservation planning and coordination

Continued networking with new and old connections.

2016 WildLinks – Held in November 2016 in Seattle, Washington. Read more on the Cascadia Partner Forum website. As climate change continues to reshape our natural landscapes and weather patterns, how do we go about creating a blueprint for a climate-resilient landscape? This is an unprecedented question that all natural resource advocates and managers are facing as climate change begins to alter our ecosystems. In 2016, WildLinks attendees strove to identify shared priorities and conservation actions within the Cascadia region. Along with updates from organizations and a review of the past year, discussions focused on:

How to maintain a connected network of terrestrial habitats

How to best share existing information and science to inform climate adaptation on the ground

Forming a working group to address recovering a transboundary Canada lynx population

How to best prepare for the effects of climate change, both on landscapes and in informing conservation strategies

2015 WildLinks – October 28-30, 2015, Manning Park Resort, British Columbia. Hosted by the Cascadia Partner Forum, Conservation Northwest, Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission, North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative and the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative. The 2015 WildLinks gathered the diverse pool of practitioners working throughout Cascadia to create a more resilient landscape for species and ecosystems today and into the future.

2014 WildLinks – The 2014 WildLinks conference, held at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, focused on the transboundary Cascadia region and important connecting ecosystems in partnership with the Cascadia Partner Forum. Key issues covered were grizzly bear and salmon recovery, ecological connectivity, and land-access management.

2013 WildLinks – A workshop of the Cascadia Partner Forum. Read the Summary Report prepared by Jon Bepple providing an overview of presentations, discussion, and side meetings held during the conference.

2012 WildLinks – Building off past years.
Moving forward for transboundary coordination in the Cascadia ecosystem for species and habitats in a changing climate.

2011 WildLinks – Coordinating across political borders to help species and ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.

2010 WildLinks – Building partners, connecting habitat, adapting to change
This two-day conference was held in Seattle, co-hosted by the USFWS Great Northern and North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperatives.

2009 WildLinks – Thinking Across Borders
This two-day conference focused on recognizing the needs of wildlife on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

2008 WildLinks – Planning for a Future with Working Landscapes and Wildlife Linkages
This two-day conference focused on wildlife and lands from the North Cascades to northeastern Washington.